Hi guys! I have the incredibly tough decision of choosing between Northeastern and Brandeis. I’m extremely grateful to be choosing between two great schools, but I feel like I’m stuck. I visited both but still am not sure - I feel like I could fit in at either. They gave me very similar amounts in financial aid (both great packages). I’m probably going to major in either comp sci or bio / behavioral neuroscience on a pre-med track (I clearly have a lot of figuring out to do lol). Here’s a list of each school’s pros and cons for me:
Northeastern
PROS
Co-op - most attractive thing for me, especially if I decide to do comp sci (I would gain connections and experience from top tech companies)
- Puts people at a huge advantage in the job market
Location provides countless opportunities for internships and fun things
Better comp sci
Feeling of excitement and doing big things
CONS
Not a huge fan of the pre-professional vibe and people knowing exactly what they want to do
I think I’d rather have a traditional college experience, even though the co-op would help a lot
Size (17,000) is a bit overwhelming
Best programs are business and engineering, which I’m not really interested in
Brandeis
PROS
Better academically - outstanding professors
Students seem more down-to-earth and intellectual, which I like
Less pressure to major in something pre-professional
Suburban campus (preferred) and more tight-knit community
Better socio-economically (higher percentage of low income students)
Amazing neuroscience program and generally great science programs
Size is optimal for me
More individual attention
CONS
No co-op
Less opportunities b/c it’s not in the middle of Boston
Stricter course requirements
Worse comp sci
I’m going through a similar debate! I visited Brandeis yesterday and I’m going to visit Northeastern again today, but I think the thing you should consider is how you would fit in with each student body because they are both fantastic schools and offer fantastic opportunities. Do you know what you want to study? It seems like you do because you noted the strength of the comp sci programs. But I think Brandeis is better for exploring.
Do you like to party? Northeastern has a bit of a reputation, according to my friend who goes to school in Boston, for being a bit of a party school. I think the kids at Brandeis are more laid back when it comes to socializing. The kids at Brandeis are also a bit nerdy, but seem nice based on what I saw.
Is the Jewish plurality at Brandeis a positive, negative, or neutral thing for you?
I think you should choose Brandeis. Based on what you said, there are more things you like about Brandeis than about Northeastern. The main thing keeping you considering Northeastern is the co-op program, but you can still do things like internships and research at Brandeis.
My son is a freshman at Brandeis, and his final choice came down to Hampshire, Northeastern (admitted to honors college CCIS), and Brandeis. One of the main reasons he chose Brandeis was that even though he loves math and computer science, he wasn’t 100% sure that’s what he wants to do, and the Northeastern program seemed extremely focused on a pre-determined path that left little room for exploration, and he wanted a more well-rounded experience. The pre-professional atmosphere was also a bit of a turn-off. He is also very involved in music and theatre, and it didn’t look like there would be a lot of opportunities for him to be involved as a non-major. The final negative for him was the male/female ratio in the CCIS program - we sat in an information session for admitted CCIS students that had 3 girls and over 70 boys. At Brandeis, he is taking math, music, and computer science courses every semester and has taken, or will be taking, courses in theatre, philosophy, acting, and a foreign language. He feels he made the right choice, but we both agree that if he had been sure that he wanted to pursue a career in computer science, Northeasetern would have been a wonderful choice. One more thing - Brandeis has a free shuttle service into Boston, as well as a commuter rail station that is essentially on campus. He goes into Boston frequently and hasn’t found the location a hindrance. Good luck!